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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347536">Acceptance</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captainkrueger/pseuds/Captainkrueger'>Captainkrueger</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Light Angst, POV Second Person</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:19:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,281</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347536</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captainkrueger/pseuds/Captainkrueger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Kindness is unfamiliar to you. It is overwhelming. You are still learning to accept it from others."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Franky &amp; Nico Robin, Franky/Nico Robin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Acceptance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Wrote this because I just wanted to write something that I find pretty. And I've never worked with Robin or in a second person POV before, so this was a fun exercise.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>The first thing you do when you have a moment to yourself on this new ship is take time to feel the sun on your skin. </em>
</p><p>You close your eyes and tilt your head towards the sky, feel the sun’s warmth envelop you. You haven’t done this in a while; you haven’t had the freedom to allow yourself to be present, to inhabit your body, to take up space. </p><p>You have forgotten what it feels like, to have this kind of leisure, and you feel your body rebel against you for this moment of indulgence. Your posture stiffens and your mind races as you realize that this is just temporary respite. That while your charming new captain has graciously taken you in, you know how this will all end. This is temporary. Everything in your life has been temporary ever since the Marines obliterated the island you once called home. One day you will be alone again.</p><p>But you resist this way of thinking, at least for now. You open your eyes and hold your hands out. You stare at them. You feel the sun’s rays sink into your skin. Eyes sprout from the backs of your hands and stare back at you.</p><p>It may be temporary, but you will yourself to enjoy it while it lasts, while your ears are still ringing from the time when the captain saved you from yourself.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Sadness is your constant companion. </em>
</p><p>It is your longest lasting relationship. It does not leave you, even when others leave, are taken from you, or when you have to walk away. You carry it with you everywhere you go. It is here to stay.</p><p>Franky recognizes this in you. He sees your sadness, but he does not flinch as he reaches for you and cups your cheek in his hand with the kind of tenderness that has never failed to move you to tears. It surprises him, as it had with those you’ve taken to bed before. Kindness is unfamiliar to you. It is overwhelming. You are still learning to accept it from others.</p><p>He asks you if he’s done anything wrong and you smile at him, eyelashes damp and heavy against your cheeks with tears. “No, Franky,” you say, grabbing his weighty hand in both of yours and holding it against your cheek. You smile into his skin as warmth spreads its petals within your chest as you stand before the man who sees you for your sadness and does not turn away. </p><p>“No, you’re doing everything right.”</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>You and Usopp form an unlikely pair.</em>
</p><p>Sometimes you look at the ship’s sniper as you work close to each other in companionable silence, and you smile privately to yourself as you think about how different things are from when they first started. </p><p>Usopp is a cautious boy. He was not as easily won over as some of the rest of the crew, but now you garden together, now he shows you his sketches when asked, and you have both taken up painting together. You have no formal teacher onboard, so it has been a learning process that you have enjoyed together as you feel your way around a canvas.</p><p>It’s after breakfast when Usopp finds you wearing one of Franky’s old shirts as a smock as you set up. “Just give me a second and I’ll join you,” he says. You smile and nod at him before he runs off. </p><p>While he’s gone, you pick your paints, letting your hand guide you as you choose your colors. You are in an abstract phase, picking colors at random at the beginning of each new painting and letting the brushes decide how the picture turns out. </p><p>It relaxes you to be able to sit down and paint with your friend, and you enjoy having someone who appreciates your artistic endeavors. Franky tries to act interested, but the conversation always circles back to how he thinks every painting would be improved if it had at least one robot in it. Franky also doesn’t understand the names of your paintings. Neither does Usopp, truthfully, but you two enjoy having an activity you can share with each other.</p><p>Usopp returns, beaming at you as he sets up. He’s been interested in still life recently and he tells you he’s going to paint the swing today. You smile at him and wish him luck. Usopp has been working with watercolors lately. Today you use acrylic. You work in silence, enjoying the weather and each other’s company.</p><p>The content smile on your face withers into nothing as you realize that you’ve chosen a particular shade of violet and a particular shade of red. They bring you back to when you were hardly more than twenty years old. You are reminded of violet curls tickling your arm and neck, of red lips that curve upwards and press promise and adoration into your jawline.</p><p>Violet hair bunched up in an angry fist. Red lips pulled down in a grimace.</p><p>“Why?” those red lips mouth.</p><p>“Because I know it was you that reported me to the Marines,” you say. That night you are deserving of the name Devil Child.</p><p>You name the painting <em>Violence.</em></p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>The water is cold on your feet.</em>
</p><p>You stand ankle deep in the ocean, shoes in your hand as you stare across the water and watch the sun set. You are still thinking about the painting from yesterday.</p><p>“Nico Robin!”</p><p>You smile and you look over your shoulder and see Franky grinning at you. He lifts up his sunglasses and perches them on his head, his eyes twinkling as he approaches you. He puts and arm around you as he comes to a stop, standing next to you in the ocean. You rest your head against him and hum contentedly.</p><p>He asks you how your day was. </p><p>“Lovely,” you say.</p><p>He isn’t convinced.</p><p>“Franky,” you say softly, turning your head to look up into his eyes. “Does it bother that I still think about her?”</p><p>He lays his cheek against your head. Not many people are tall enough to do that. You close your eyes and you smile, taking in the warmth Franky radiates. “We all have our ghosts, Robin,” he says softly. You wrap your arms around his torso and you say nothing. Franky has said it all.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>You are grateful for your crew.</em>
</p><p>You smile as you watch those you hold dear. It’s a beautiful night out. Luffy demanded that Sanji make you all a picnic for dinner, so you could eat out under the stars. You lean against Franky while he strums his small guitar, made even smaller by his large metal hands. </p><p>He looks at you and he grins. You smile up at him and give his arm a small squeeze.</p><p>You watch together as Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper play a game of tag. Luffy is “it” and he stretches out his arm and taps Chopper on the back. “Tag! You’re it!”</p><p>“LUFFY!” Chopper shrieks as he toddles after Luffy on his stubby legs. “THAT’S CHEATING!”</p><p>You laugh behind your hand as you see your captain run from the tiny reindeer, howling with laughter. “Captain’s rules, Chopper!”</p><p>You sigh happily as Franky sets his guitar aside and wraps his arm around your waist, pulls you closer. You watch them all, these people you love so much: Luffy, Nami, Chopper, Usopp, Sanji, Zoro, Brook. The people you would sacrifice yourself for, but who would never allow it because you, Nico Robin, are one of them, and they love you as you love them.</p><p>Perhaps this is temporary, but everything in life is temporary. And you will cherish it while it lasts.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay! If you liked this, comments are appreciated and cherished.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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